The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-27
CHiTTANOOGA'S GROWTH
THE 0UTCOaE OF GREAT RICHES
In COAL AND IRON
That Lie All About Her and Under
Her Very Streets-Ihe Work
OF Magic.

lar as the eye eau Ttdch. nut lIuu
dug out of the ground is mixed with
impurities that need to be purged
away before it is fit for It's multitu-
diuous uses. These auxiliary mate
rails are generally found at such dis
tances from the ore as TO involve a
heavy cost in transportation. But 10
this section they lie side by side aud
all together, the iron with the eoal
needed for coke, the limestone tor
smelling the ore, ard the fire clay
aud sandstone for the construction OF
furnaces. An idea Of these mineral
resources thus tributary 10 ChattS-
nooga cannot better be given than
in the words of Gen. John I. Viii
der. the founder of the iron works
at lockwood. He says;
THE coal field of Tennessee ex-
tends entirely across the State, from
kentucky to Georgia and Alabama,
being an extension OF tie Appa-
lachian coal fields, whose northern
extremity is in Northern Pennsyl
vauia, aud extends sOuthwesterly
across Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee, and
ends in Central Alabama. The coal
field OF Tennessee covers 300 square
miles; there are about 1000 square
miles in Alabama, and 250 square
miles in Georgia, all belonging to the
lower coal measures. All these
broad acres, excepting small area
in Alabama, form a covering for the
Cumberland table land, raises above
the surrounding country, with an
outcrop above the drainage of the
valleys on either side, easily opened,
ventilated, and drained"
Throughout this extensive region
are wonderful beds of fossiliferous
red hematite iron ore, none OF itmore
than fifteen miles from the eastern
outcrop OF the coal measures, and all
OF it covered by the great limestone
beds of the observation-disclosures period.
Gan these formations lie like the
leaves of a book, fiat, bedded on each
other, and generally tilted up and
broken into high ridges, or folded
into deep synclinal troughs of valleys,
In either case exposing the hedges OF
the ore beds, making it easy to find,
ready to mine, abundant in quantity,
always accessible. These beds usu
ally average four to five feet in
thickness, sometimes more" The
General adds in regard to one species
of the timber Of this region: 1.-THE
largest forest of chestnut oak in the
United States, producing the best
quality of tan bark, cover the coal
fields OF Tennessee, Georgia and
Alabama, supplying the largest oak
tannery on the continent, at Chatta-
nooga, and furnishing tan bark for
the towns of st. Louis, Louisville
and Cincinnati. They are sufficient
in area to supply 100000 cords
per year for an indefinite period
without exhaustion, as the tret
reaches maturity in our climate II
forty years, and grows on an area o
over 7 100000 acres, and if cut once
in forty years, and producing only
two cords per tree, it would produce
perpetually 100000 cords each year
One cord of chestnut oak tan bark
grown in this latitude produces thir.
ty-three per cent. more tannin thar
all the bark grown north OF the ka'
nawha river,
Other woods equally valuable sur
round Chattanooga. The city is il
the midst Of n vast forest, where no
ono.sixth of the land has yet beer
subjected to cultivation. Besides oak
there are chestnut and black walnu
standing there in almost inexhausti
bic supply and primeval grandeur
Here, too, is hickory enough to max
the wagons of continent, and sui
fcicnt supply OF red cedar is growing
on the Clinch river alone TO furnish
hollow ware to every housekeeper TO
another century.
1t is written in these hills of iron
these mountains of coal and thes
forests of timber that Chattanoog,
has a great future,
Growing out of the manuiactur,
Of pig iron there are in Chattanooga
rolling mills, nail, stove pipe anC
pillow factories, and machine shops
which have, exclusive OF the mon
strous Roane Iron Works, an anuua
producing capacity of 10000 tons
The Roane company is building stee
works, now nearly completed, whicI
will at once add a hundred men Il
the present working force of Chatta
nooga. This establishment in opera
ton, the total iron product of tn
place will not be less than 100000
annually.
In addition, other branches o
manufacture, in which iron is no
the only factor, are successful
prosecuted at Chattanooga. Anon
these, besides the lumber and flour
ing mills, are cotton and furnitur
factories, marble works and two tan
noricS, the larger of which turns on
$2000,000 in leather yearly-morC
it is said, than any similar establish
mcut in the country. All told, thes
Establishments yield an annual prod
uct Of $5,000,0O0. Besides these
there are within radius of fit
miles OF the town various mills, fur
naceS and machine shops, which ar
tributary to Chattanooga, and hav
helped to build up its wholesal
trade TO a yearly volume of $500,
GOO. Ten years ago there were onl
wholesale houses in the city; no,
they number eighty eight, and ar
being added to yearly. Recent sta
tisucs show the annual business il
various branches to be as follows
Agricultural implements $500, 00C
produce, 100000; furniture, $500
600; grain, 81 100000; groceries, 81,
100000 hardware and iron supple,
T,75O,0OO; liquors, 100000, an
house furnishing goods, $780, 0(
The comparatively small amount G
spirits sold indicates that an Into
cradle deal of sack does not cnte
into the household supplies of tn
Tennessee country people. The &c
tai business OF the town is estimate
at $l5,00O,000, and it is said that
per cent. of its manufacturing cap
iRl of s. 100000 is from the Nortl
OF its business men there is abou